Rotary shear blades mounted coaxially and having independent drive means



May 16, 1961 N. A. WILSON 2,984,137

ROTARY SHEAR BLADES MOUNTED COAXIALLY AND HAVING INDEPENDENT DRIVE MEANS Filed Nov. 15, 1959 INVENTOR. v Wormam C2,. Zl/I'Zson 4%14WWK H oney United States Patent ROTARY SHEAR BLADES MOUNTED COAXIALLY AN'D HAVING INDEPENDENT DRIVE MEANS Filed Nov. 13, 19s9, Ser. No. 852,715 6 Claims. 01. 83-303) This invention relates to a shear, and more particularly to apparatus for severing individual strands in a multistrand rolling In certain parts of a rod or bar rolling mill it is necessary to cut the rolled stock. This is sometimes necessary, for instance, following the finishing stand and before the coiling reels in order to divide a long bar or rod into smaller pieces for reeling. At intermediate parts of the mill it is sometimes necessary to crop a front end to present a better end for guiding through the remaining part of the mill and at times it is necessary to cobble cut, that is to say, to cut the bar or rod into a number of small pieces, as, for instance, when an obstruction or cobble takes place downstream in the mill. In the past these functions have been accomplished in a number of ways in a multi-strand rolling mill. For instance, it is possible to arrange a plurality of individual shears and to control them as desired with each shear cutting its particular strand. Sometimes a plurality of strands has been served by a single blade which is movable laterally to cut any selected strand. However, using a plurality of shears is expensive and with the type having a single blade which is transversely movable it is possible to out only one strand at a time. These and other difliculties experienced with prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a shear having a plurality of sets of blades capable of cutting selectively any one of a corresponding plurality of strands in a multi-strand rolling mill.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a shear having a plurality of side-by-side blades driven from a single power source but capable of control and actuation individually or collectively.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a shear which retains in a single housing a plurality of individually controlled blades, all blades being driven from a single power source.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms as illustrated by the accompanying drawing in which:

The single figure shows a sectional elevational view of a shear embodying the principles of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, it can be seen that the shear, designated generally by the reference numeral 10, consists of a housing 11 having two chambers 12 and 13. The chamber 12 is open at either end to permit the passage of the strands of a muti-strand rolling mill (not shown) therethrough. In the preferred embodiment the shear 2,984,137 Patented May 16, 1961 strands are adapted to pass through the chamber 12 side-by-side in a horizontal plane at the center of the chamber. The chamber 13 contains some of the drive elements and is separated from the chamber 12 by a wall 14.

Each side of the chamber 12 opposite the wall 14 is defined by an end wall 15 which carries two bearings 16 and 17, one above the other with their axes parallel, and located midway, between the ends of the chamber. Carried in the bearing 16 is a shaft 18 carrying a knife 19, which, as is customary, is provided with a V-shaped serration on its cutting edge. Carried in the bearing 17 is a similar shaft 21 having a similar V-shaped knife 22 which engages the knife 19. The shafts 18 and 21 are parallel and are situated one above the other at a midpoint in the chamber 12 of the housing 11. The portion of the shaft 18 beyond knife 19 passes through a bore 23 in a tubular shaft 24 which carries a knife 25 spaced from knife 19. In a similar manner the portion of the shaft 21 beyond knife 22 passes through a bore 26 in a tubular shaft 27 which carries a knife 28 spaced from knife 22. The tubular shafts 24 and 27 are parallel and lie one above the other in the chamber 12 for at least a portion of their lengths. Knives 25 and 28 which engage one another in the same manner as knives 19 and 22 are similarly provided with V-shaped serrations in their center cutting portions.

The tubular shafts 24 and 27 pass through the dividing wall 14 and are mounted in bearings 29 and 31 carried in suitable bores in that wall. The tubular shaft 24 extends into and across the chamber 13 and has its end carried in a bearing 32 mounted in an end wall 33 of the housing. The wall 33 defines the end of the chamber 13 opposite that occupied by the dividing wall 14. In a similar manner the tubular shaft 27 extends across the chamber 13 and its end is mounted in a bearing 34 carried by'the end wall 33.

The central part of that portion of the tubular shaft 24 which resides in the chamber 13 is provided with a bull gear 35 which is suitably keyed thereto and engages a pinion gear 36. The gear 36 is suitablyy keyed to a jackshaft 37 which is provided at a free end with a pulley 38 carrying a plurality of belts 39 which are suitably driven by an electric motor (not shown). The jackshaft .37 is carried in roller bearings 41 and 42 suitably mounted in an upward extension of the housing 11.

Keyed to the tubular shaft 24 adjacent the dividing wall 14 is a gear 43 which meshes in driving relationship with a similar gear 44 keyed to the tubular shaft 27. Keyed to the tubular shaft 24 adjacent the end wall 33 is a gear 45 which meshes in driving relationship with a similar gear 46 keyed to the tubular shaft 27. An abutment 47 extends upwardly in the chamber 13 closely adjacent to the gear 44 and carries a bearing 48 to support tubular shaft 27. A similar abutment 49 is situated ad acent the gear 46 and carries a bearing 51 which further supports tubular shaft 27. Between the two bearings 48 and 51 the tubular shaft 27 is divided into a left-hand part 27a and a right-hand part 27b. The left-hand part extends through the bearing 48, the gear 44, and the bearing 34, and carries the knife 28. The right-hand portion 27b passes through the bearing 51, the gear 46, and the bearing 34. The shaft 21 extends through both portions 27a and 27b without a break and isvkeyed to the right-hand portion 27b by key 52. The upper tubular shaft 24 is divided into three parts 24a, 24b and 240. Between parts 24a and 24b is a clutch 53, situated betwen the gear 43 and the bull gear 35. A clutch is shown as designed for a two-strand mill and the 7 54 is situated between parts 24b and 24c and between the bull gear 35 and the gear 45. These clutches 53, 54 are each of the well-known electromagnetic-friction type and are controlled by electrical means (not shown) which is well-known in the art. When the clutch 53 is energized the center portion 24b of the tubular shaft 24 which carries the bull gear 35 in rigidly connected with the lefthand portion 24a of the shaft which carries the gear 43. In the same way, when the clutch '54 is energized it joins the center portion 24b with the right-hand portion 240 which carries the gear 45. Shaft portion 240 is keyed to shaft 18 by key 56.

The shaft 37, as has been stated, passes through the bearings 41 and 42 and at one free end lies the pulley 38. At the other free end it extends into an air brake 55 of known construction mounted externally of the housing 11 on the upper surface thereof, the controls and the source .of air being common to the art-and not shown.

It will be understood that the drawing is somewhat schematic and that an actual installation of such a shear would have a housing with a considerably different shape and configuration. However, the principles remain the same.

The operation of the shear will now be readily understood in view of the above description. The rotation of the pulley 38 by means of the belts 39, is accomplished by the energization of the prime mover (not shown). This rotates the shaft 37 carrying with it the pinion gear 36 which, in-turn, rotates the bull gear 35 and the central portion of the tubular shaft 24. If both the clutches 53 and '54 are not energized, the knives will not rotate. With the bull gear 35 rotating with the central portion 24b of the tubular shaft 24, energizing of clutch 53 will cause rotation of the left-hand portion 24a of the tubular shaft 24 and also the left-hand part 27a of the tubular shaft 27 by means of the inter-engagement of the gears 43 and 44. This rotates both shafts 24 and 27 along with their knives 2'5 and 28 for any purpose, such as dividing, cropping, or cobble-cutting. Continuous rotation, of course, will cut the strand into a number of small pieces, whereas a single rotation will make a single cut to divide or to crop a bar. If, however, the clutch 54 is energized while clutch 53 is de-energized, the right-hand end 24c of the tubular shaft 24 will be rotated carrying with it .the gear 45 which in turn will drive the gear 46 thus driving the right-hand end 27b of the lower tubular shaft 27. Rotationof the right-hand ends 240 and 27b of the tubular shafts 24 and 27 causes rotation of shafts 18 and 21 and the knives 19 and 22, thus producing a desired cuttlng operation.

.On occasion, it may 'be desired to cut with both sets of knives. To do this, it is only necessary to energize both clutches 53 and 54, thus producing not only rotation of the tubular shaft portions 24a and 27a but also of the shafts 18 and 21, thus to cause the desired cutting of both strands. It 'will be understood that by proper energization of one clutch or the other it would be possible to cobble-cut one strand while cropping the front end .of the other strand. When the prime mover is stopped to stop the shear, the air brake 55 can be used to slow down the system.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include .all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. A shear for use in a multi-strand rolling mill, comprising a housing, a horizontal passage extending through the housing and adapted to be aligned with the pass line of the mill, first and second shafts rotatably carried 'in parallel relationship one above the other across the pas.- sage, bearings in the housing at one side of the passage carrying the ends of the first and second shafts, a'knife fastened to each of the first and second .shafts adjacent the said bearings, third and fourth shafts, of tubular form, mounted on the first and second shafts, respectively, but not overlying the portions thereof that are associated with the knives and bearings, a knife fastened to each of the third and fourth shafts adjacent the first-mentioned knives, a first means for driving the first and second shafts, and a second means for driving the third and fourth shafts operable independently of the first means.

2. A shear for use in a multiple-strand rolling mill, comprising a housing, a horizontal passage extending through the housing and adapted to be aligned with the pass line of the mill, first and second shafts rotatably carried in parallel relationship one above the other across the passage, hearings in the housing at one side of the passage carrying the ends of the first and second shafts, a knife fastened to each of the first and second shafts adjacent the said bearings, third and fourth shafts of tubular form mounted on the first and second shafts, respectively, the third and fourth shafts acting as bearings for a substantial part of the first and second shafts, respectively, and a knife fastened to each of the third and fourth shafts adjacent the first-mentioned knives.

3. A shear for use in a multi-strand rolling mill, comprising a housing, a chamber in the housing adapted to be aligned with the pass line of the mill, first and second shafts rotatably carried in parallel relationship one above the other across the chamber, two bearings in the housing at one side of the chamber each carrying one end of each of the first and second shafts, a knife fastened to each of the first and second shafts adjacent the said bearings, third and fourth shafts mounted in bearings in the housing and each having an inner bore, the bores of the third and fourth shafts acting as bearings for a substantial portion of the first and second shafts, respectively, and a knife fastened to each of the third and fourth shafts "adjacent the first-mentioned knives.

4. A shear for use in a multi-strand rolling mill, comprising a housing,a chamber in the housing adapted to be aligned with the pass line of the mill, first and second shafts rotatably carried in parallel relationshipone above the other across the chamber, two hearings in the housing at one side of the chamber each carrying one end of each of the first and second shafts, a knife fastened to each of the first and second shafts adjacent the said bearings, third and fourth shafts mounted in bearings in the housing and each having an inner bore, the bores of the third and fourth shafts acting as bearings for a substantial portion of the first and second shafts, respectively, a knife fastened to each of the third and fourth shafts adjacent the first-mentioned knives, a driving means, a first means including a clutch joining the said driving means to the third and fourth shafts, and a second means including a clutch joining the said driving means to the first and second shafts.

5. A shear for use in a multi-strand rolling mill, comprising first and second shafts rotatably carried in parallel relationship .one above the other, a knife fastened to each of the first and second shafts adjacent one pair of ends, third and fourth shafts mounted in bearings and each having an inner bore, the bores of the third and fourth shafts acting as bearings for a substantial portion of the first and second shafts, respectively, and a knife fastened to each of the third and fourth shafts adjacent a pair of ends, a driving means, a first means including a clutch joining the said driving means to the third and fourth shafts, and a second means including a clutch joining the said driving means to the first and second shafts.

6. A shear for use in a multi-strand rolling mill, comprising a power input shaft, a housing, a passage extending through the housing adapted to be aligned with the pass line of the mill, first and second shafts rotatably carried in parallel relationship one above the other across the'passage, two bearings in the ,housing at one side of the passage, each bearing carrying one end of each of the 5 6 first and seeond shafts, a knife fastened to each of the References Cited in the file of this patent iirst and 856911! shafts, and n 1ounted P m bearmgs m the housing and each of said third and fourth shafts having an inner bore, the said first and 1,153,014 Bauohet P 1915 second shafts being positioned ooaxially within the bores 5 212161013 Kenny P 241 1940 of said third and fourth shafts respectively, a knife fas- 2,237,322 west P 1941 tened to each of the third and fourth shafts, and means 2,630,719 Humbert 1953 located between said power input shaft and said first and i second and said third and fourth shafts to transmit ro- FOREIGN PATENTS tatory motion to pairs of said rotatable shafts either con- 10 1,126,117 France July 23, 1956 jointly or independently. 552,394 Italy Dec. 1, 1956 

